The #1 Rule of News Writing
There is one rule of news writing that you must always abide by if you want to be a good news writer: publish articles that readers will truly want to read.
It may seem obvious, but so many writers make the mistake of thinking that as long as they are writing about something important, people will automatically be interested.
The truth is, no one cares about the news unless it affects them directly, or unless it is so fascinating that they can’t help but read on. That’s why the best news stories are always the ones that are personal and relatable or the ones that offer an inside look at something new and exciting.
So if you want to write news that people will actually care about, forget about trying to be objective and impartial. Instead, focus on writing stories that are interesting, personal, and unique.
Only then will you capture the attention of your audience. This article will help you understand essential tips for writing news articles that have greater chances of being read by your target audiences.
Important Elements of News Writing
- Headline
The headline is the most crucial component of any news story. Since it’s the first thing people will see, they’ll probably skip the remainder and move on if it doesn’t grab their interest.
That’s why headlines should be clear, concise, and interesting. A great headline will make people want to read on, while a boring or confusing one will lose their attention immediately.
If it’s challenging for you to write a good headline, try starting with the most important part of your story and then condensing it down to just a few words. Or, try using puns or jokes to add some personality to your headline. Make sure the rest of your story lives up to the headline’s promise!
- Lead
In news writing, the lead, sometimes known as the introductory paragraph, is vital to grab your audience’s attention. This is so because readers frequently scan articles; if the lead isn’t interesting, they’ll probably go on without reading the rest.
A great lead will give readers a clear idea of what the article is about and why they should care. It should be concise, well-written, and interesting.
If you’re struggling to write a good lead, try starting with a strong quote from an expert or eyewitness or with an interesting fact or statistic. Whatever you do, make sure your lead is short and to the point – readers should be able to understand what your article is about without reading the whole thing.
- Inverted Pyramid
When writing news, it’s crucial to keep in mind that the information should be organized in an inverted pyramid. Accordingly, the most crucial details should come first in the article, and the less crucial ones should follow.
This is because people often skim articles, and if they don’t see what they’re looking for right away, they’re likely to stop reading. By structuring your article in this way, you can ensure that even if people only read the first few paragraphs, they’ll still get the most important information.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that every detail in your article is equally important. You must use your judgment to select what goes first and what can be left out. But as a general rule, the inverted pyramid is a good way to structure your news stories.
- Attributing Information
Whenever you include information that isn’t common knowledge in your article, it’s important to attribute it to a source. This could be an expert, an eyewitness, or a study.
Attributing information to a source gives your article credibility and helps to back up your claims. It also allows readers to check where you got your information if they want to know more.
When attributing information, make sure you include the name of the source, their job title or qualifications, and where they got their information from. For example:
According to John Smith, a professor of history at Harvard University, “the Battle of Gettysburg was a turning point in the Civil War.”
Or:
According to a study published in The Mirror, “there is no evidence that sugar is harmful to health.”
These attributions give your readers all the information they need to understand where your claims are coming from.
- Integrating Quotes
Quotes can be a fantastic way to add interest to your article and support your claims. But it’s essential to use them sparingly and integrate them smoothly into your writing.
A good quote will add something new to your story and help illustrate your point. A bad quote, on the other hand, will just take up space and make your article feel disjointed.
When considering using a quote, ask yourself whether it’s necessary. If it is, make sure you introduce it in a way that makes sense in the context of your article.
News Values You Need To Know
To write a remarkable news article, you need to know and understand the different news values. These are the things that make a story interesting and worth writing about.
The most important news values are:
- Timeliness: Is this story happening right now?
- Proximity: Is this story relevant to my audience?
- Prominence: Is this story about a famous or important person?
- Oddity: Is this story unusual or unexpected?
- Conflict: Is there a disagreement or argument at the heart of this story?
- Consequence: What are the potential consequences of this story?
Keep this rule of news writing in mind when you’re deciding what to write about. If a story doesn’t have at least one of them, it’s probably not worth writing. Seasoned journalists use these news values to craft exciting and newsworthy news articles.
By understanding and using this rule of news writing, you can be sure that your articles will be interesting and worth reading.
Featured Image- Unsplash @ Trent Erwin
